(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that the $26 million Route 46 and Main Street interchange improvement project in Lodi, Bergen County has reached substantial completion, seven months ahead of schedule.

NJDOT’s contractor, J.F. Creamer & Son joint venture with Joseph M. Sanzari Inc., has replaced the Route 46 bridges over Main Street and the Saddle River and widened Route 46 to provide a third lane in each direction from Kimmig Street to the vicinity of Hope Street. In addition, the project widened Main Street to feature four through-lanes and a center turning lane at the interchange with Route 46 and added new traffic signals at the end of the interchange ramps.

The reconfigured interchange is expected to relieve congestion and improve motorist safety. NJDOT planned the project in a manner that minimally impacted traffic, maintaining two lanes of Route 46 during peak period hours, and one lane in each direction on Main Street. The federally funded project began construction in June 2009 and was originally scheduled for completion in fall 2012.

Last month the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey (ACECNJ) selected the project as their 2012 Engineering Excellence ‘Honor Award’ recipient.

Construction information and real-time traffic updates are available at www.511nj.org or by calling 511.